Sotheby's Announces the Appointment of Ronald J. Gard, the Esteemed American Decoy Today Sotheby’s announced the appointment of Ronald J. Gard, the esteemed American decoy and Americana expert, as Senior Consulting Specialist of Sotheby’s American Folk Art department

New York, New York, January 22, 2008 – Today Sotheby’s announced the appointment of Ronald J. Gard, the esteemed American decoy and Americana expert, as Senior Consulting Specialist of Sotheby’s American Folk Art department. Mr. Gard worked closely with renowned collector Dr. James McCleery and was instrumental in Sotheby’s subsequent sale of the Distinguished Collection of Dr. James McCleery in 2000, which transformed the market for American waterfowl decoys and attracted collectors outside of the traditional marketplace. The sale brought $10.9 million, the highest total for a single-owner sale of American waterfowl decoys, nearly doubling its high estimate, also achieving a record for an American waterfowl decoy at the time of the sale when a Sleeping Canada Goose by Anthony Elmer Crowell sold for $684,000. Sotheby’s next sale of American Folk Art will be held in October 2008.

Nancy Druckman, Senior Vice President and Director of Sotheby’s American Folk Art department, continued: “We’re absolutely thrilled that Ron Gard is joining us. He is among the foremost scholars and collectors in this field and is widely regarded for his expertise and wonderful reputation. Ron has had a lifelong passion for American Folk Art, particularly for American waterfowl decoys, a market which has been growing enormously over the past few years and has experienced a broadening base of collectors outside of the traditional decoy collector. Waterfowl decoys are now on par, in terms of quality, and the prices they command, with other major examples of American art that have transcended their own genre. Ron’s experience and depth of knowledge will be an asset to our continued expansion of the market for American waterfowl decoys.”

Ronald J. Gard commented: “I am delighted to be working with Nancy Druckman, who I’ve long admired in the field of American Folk Art, and Sotheby’s, the oldest international auction house in the world, for a new and different challenge as the field of American waterfowl decoys matures. I look forward to continuing and
deepening my relationships with those in the field who already have an appreciation for this art form, as well as working with new collectors interested in acquiring the best examples of art across categories.”

The American Folk Art department is led by Nancy Druckman, who has directed the department since 1974. The most experienced Folk Art specialist in the auction industry, Ms. Druckman has played a major role in the expansion of the market over the last quarter century. She was instrumental in the 1979 sale of the collection of Stewart Gregory which established the market for American Folk Art. A frequent lecturer, she has appeared on the Antiques Roadshow since its inception. Her list of publications includes American Flags: Design for a Young Nation and the introduction to the Dictionary of Twentieth Century American Folk Art and Folk Artists.

The American Folk Art department holds a number of auction records, including the record for a